Land-roller



Ne. 625,485. Patented May 23, I899. J. K. WILDEB.

LAND ROLLER.

(Application filed Jim. 16, 1899.)

3 Sheets-8heet I.

(No Model.)

A: BIAS No. 625,485. Patented May 23, I899. J. K. WILDEB.

LAND ROLLER.

\Application filed Jan. 16, 1899., [No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shea 3.

mllnllllllllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. WILDER, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN.

LAN D-ROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,485, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed January 16, 1899. Serial No. 702,302. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN K. WILDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Monroe-and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Land-Rollers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in landrollers and it consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a roller embodying my invention, the outer ends being elevated to illustrate the flexibility of the roller. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the roller, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the roller on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of parts of the mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of one of the sliding boxes and its guide.

The object of my invention is to provide a flexible land-roller composed of several independently-movable sections, the adjacent ends of which travel very close together, and devices for enabling said sections to separate at top or bottom to permit the sections to assume angular positions with respect to each other in passing over inequalities of the ground, and devices for quickly returning the sections to their normal positions when the nature of the ground permits.

To this end my invention contemplates the use of a number of sections, each composed of an even number of independently-revoluble drums or rollers, and while I have shown a roller comprising two sections or gangs of two drums each I wish it to be understood that I may use a greater number of sections or a greater number of rollers in each section, or both, as may be found necessary or convenient.

In the form of roller embodying my invention A A represent the two independent shafts of the two sections of the roller. The shaft A is provided centrally with a wide bearing-sleeve b, to which is attached a 1ongitudinal draft-bar B, preferably formed of thin metal disposed on edge to permit the drums of the section to travel close together, said draft-bar extending forward and in rear of the drums. O 0 represent the two drums of the section mounted upon shaft A, preferably so as to be independently revoluble with respect to the shaft, each drum consisting in this instance of two heads 0 c and a sheetmetal shell or cylinder secured to the peripheral portions of the heads. The heads of the adjacent ends of the rollers O C are dished, as shown in the drawings, to accommodate the long bearing-sleeve I), while the ends of the drums travel very close together. The other shaft, A, of the roller is provided with a similar central bearing-sleeve b, draft-bar B, and two drums 0 C and is identical in construction with the section just described. The front and rear ends of the draft-bars B and B are provided with rounded spindles- 11 b which may be formed integrally therewith; but in this instance I have shown said spindles formed on separate pieces of metal 6 b of the same width and thickness as the draft-bars and secured thereto by bolts. The advantage of this construction is that should it become necessary to replace one of these spindles from any cause it can be done without replacing the entire draft-bar and without removing it from the machine.

D and D represent, respectively, the front and rear cross-bars of the main frame of the roller, which are preferably made of Wood. Each of these cross-bars is provided at each end with a longitudinal guide, consisting in this instance of a metal guide-block d, bolted or otherwise secured to the cross-bars and having a dovetail groove cl therein, and in each of these guide-blocks is placed a sliding block (Z shaped to engage the said dovetailed groove and'provided with a bearing (1 for one of the spindles 17 When the said sliding blocks are placed in their respective guideblocks and the spindles of the draft-bars are inserted in the bearings 61 of said sliding blocks, it will be seen that each section of the roller is independently and pivotally mounted in the frame, and said sections are also capa-- result. The meeting ends of the two central drums, in this instance drums C and C have their heads dished, as shown, and to the adjacent ends of the shafts A A are attached two draw-bars E E, respectively, said bars being provided with collars e, engaging the shafts, as shown. These draw-bars are formed of fiat pieces of metal set up edgewise in order that the ends of the drums C C may come as close together as possible. The draw-bars extend forward from the shafts A A and have their forward ends provided with rounded portions, formed integrally therewith or made separately and secured thereto, as shown in the drawings.

F represents the tongue, which is bolted to the forward cross-bar D and is further secured by suitable side braces f f. To the under side of the tongue is secured a bracket are moved slightly rearward of the outer ends,

(this being permitted by the slight looseness or play always existing between the rollershafts and the parts engaging the same,)

and a certain amount of gather is thus imparted to the roller, which can be Varied as desired by tightening or loosening said nuts. The nuts in front of the bracket prevent the draw-bars from moving backward. This gather has a tendency to cause the sections of the roller to work inward toward each other after they have been separated. These draw-bars also serve to hold the sections from twisting in the frame while passing over obstructions.

As the roller might have to move forward some little distance in some cases in order to close the sections by means of the gather of the sections, Iprefer to employ a construction for positively'drawing the said sections together independently of the gather. G G represent closing-springs for drawing these sections together, each of said springs being connected to each of the draft-bars B B. I

' prefer to provide the spring G with a pair of closing rods g g, having one end of each passed longitudinally through the spring and provided with a bent-up hook g g or other device to engage the end of the spring, so that the drawing of said rods longitudinally away G G. 1 the draw-bars or the spring construction for vided with nuts 9 so that the tension exerted by the spring G will draw the spindles of the draft-bars B B toward each other and the tension may be regulated by means of said nuts. The spring G is connected by similar rods 9 g to the rear spindles b b in exactly the same manner.

In order to prevent the springs G and G from drawing the sections of the roller together, so as to cause the ends of their adjacent rollers to bind, I provide stops to limit the inward movement of the sliding blocks 01 d This can be accomplished in many ways, but I prefer to provide each of the grooved blocks d with a shoulder d at the inner end of the groove (1, as shown in Figs.

4 and 8, so that when the sliding blocks (1 move inwardly they will be stopped by said shoulders d before the adjacent ends of the sections of the roller bind. The springs G G will therefore exert their-pressure against said shoulders until the sections are separated by assuming positions inclined to each other in passing over inequalities of the ground.

In using a roller of this construction as long as it is passing over level ground the whole roller works like a solid roller, but in passing over uneven ground the two sections can move independently, assume positions at an angle to each other, or remain parallel and in different horizontal planes without straining the parts in any way. In assuming positions in which the outer ends of the sections are above or below the central portions the end faces of .the inner drums of the sections will. engage each other at the top or bottom, as the case may be, when the sliding blocks will be moved outwardly in their guides to permit the sections to separate slightly and avoid binding. -As soon as the sections come into line the sections will be quickly brought together by the gather of the .roller and by the springs It is obvious that I may employeither closing the sections without using the other and .have an operative construction, but I prefer to employ both, as I thereby secure better results.

H represents a heavy spring secured to the rear end of the tongue and supporting the drivers seat H, said spring being provided with a shield h and foot-rest h. I also prefer to provide a brace-rod H extending from the rear end of the seat-spring H to the rear cross-bar D. This form of roller adapts itself so readily to the inequalities of the ground that the jar and movement of the drivers seat are reduced to a minimum.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction herein described and shown, as slight variations may be made therein without departing from my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In aland-roller, the combination with the main frame of a plurality of roller-sections each provided with a separate shaft, said sections having their adjacent ends in close proximity and forming when in line a substantially continuous roller and means for permitting said shafts and sections, to move endwise toward and from each other in line with their axes, without changing their angle to the line of draft, substantially as described.

2. In a land-roller, the combination with the main frame, of a plurality of roller-sections having independent shafts, said sections having their adjacent ends in close proximity and forming when in line with each other a substantially continuous roller, connections from said independent shafts to the main frame permitting said shafts and sections to separate and means for forcing said sections together after separation, substantially as described.

3. In a land-roller, the combination with the main frame of a plurality of roller-sections each having an independent shaft, said sections having their adjacent ends in close proximity and forming when in line a practically continuous roller, a longitudinal draft-bar connected with each of said shafts and pivotally connected with the main frame, means for permitting said sections and draft-bars to move outwardly with respect to the main frame and means for drawing said draft-bars and sections together after such outward movement, substantially as described.

4. In aland-roller, the combination with the main frame provided with parts movable laterally with respect thereto, of a plurality of roller-sections each provided with a separate shaft, said sections havingtheir adjacent ends in close proximity and forming a substantially continuous roller, draft bars connected to said shafts and to said laterally-movable parts on the main frame, and springs for drawing said sections together, substantially as described.

5. In a land-roller, the combination with a main frame provided with laterally-movable sliding blocks, of a plurality of roller gangs or sections, each having an independent shaft, a draft-bar secured to each of said shafts and pivotally connected with said sliding boxes, and means for drawing the sections together, substantially as described.

6. In a land-roller, the combination with a main frame provided with laterally-movable sliding boxes, of a plurality of roller-sections provided with independent shafts, a draft-bar secured to each of said shafts and pivotally connected with said sliding blocks and springs extending transversely of the main frame and connected to said sliding blocks,su bstantially as described.

7. In a land-roller, the combination with a main frame provided with laterally-movable sliding boxes, of a plurality of roller-sections provided with independent shafts, a draftbar secured to each of said shafts and pivotally connected with said sliding blocks, and springs extending transversely of the main frame and connected to said sliding blocks, and stops for limiting the inward movement of said sliding blocks, substantially as described.

8. In a land-roller, the combination with a main frame provided With laterally-movable sliding boxes, of a plurality of roller-sections provided With independent shafts, a draftbar secured to each of said shafts and pivotally connected with said sliding blocks, and springs extending transversely of the main frame and connected to said sliding blocks, and independent draw-bars connected to the inner ends of said independent shafts, and to the main frame, substantially as described.

9. In a land-roller, the combination with a main frame provided with laterally-movable sliding boxes, of a plurality of roller-sections provided with independent shafts, a draft bar secured to each of said shafts and pivotally connected with said sliding blocks, and springs extending transversely of the main frame and connected to said sliding blocks and independent draw-bars connected to the adjacent ends of said independent shafts, and to said main frame and adjusting devices for said draw-bars, substantially as described.

10. In a land-roller, the combination with the main frame including the front and rear cross-bars each provided at each end with a guide, laterally-sliding blocks mounted in said guides and provided each with a bearing, of two rollersections each provided with an independent shaft, a longitudinal draftbar connected to the central portion of each shaft, and provided at its ends with spindles engaging the hearings in said sliding blocks, a spring adjacent to each cross-bar operatively connected with the said spindles and stops for limiting the inward movement of said slidingblocks,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. VVILDER.

Witnesses:

P. B. LORANGER, A. EMMET DUNBAR. 

